353 Beautiful

On the broad and smooth mountainside, the brilliant sunlight poured down warmly, and a gentle breeze brushed over the lush green grass and flowers, carrying a delightful fragrance.

Beneath the warm sun, a tall tree stood proudly, its trunk bearing the marks of time, while its luxuriant canopy spread like a giant umbrella, casting countless dappled spots of light on the ground.

Underneath this massive tree, two figures were busy at work. Despite wearing casual clothes, their exceptional demeanor was evident in their speech and actions.

"Sorry, we're late..." Nidhogg spoke to the two busy figures with Arkhan by her side, glancing at the array of food laid out on a picnic blanket in front of her. "Nice spread! I thought you might not wait for us and start eating early."

"You think everyone's like Lily? Always acting like she's never seen food before by stealing food here and there." Morgan quipped as she stood by a grill, flipping meat.

Hearing her elder sister's quip, Artoria, who had been staring fixedly at a three-tiered cake, suddenly widened her eyes. Her 'Ahoge' stood on end as she turned her head, a serious expression appearing on her face.

"Elder Sister, I have to remind you that my eating habits are due to my body. To satisfy the needs of my red dragon heart, I require a large intake of food. Moreover, as a knight, I have never resorted to stealing food. Your accusation is unfounded."

"Then tell me, where did the royal jelly and strawberry pudding I stored in the magical ice cellar disappear to last time?" Morgan challenged.

"That was Momo! She took them!" Artoria countered.

"C'mon, do you think I don't know you instigated Momo to do it?" Morgan scoffed. "Hmph, your little tricks can't fool me, considering I'm one of the finest mages in Britain. Do you really think you can hide that from me?"

Artoria's 'Ahoge' drooped, then turned away in a huff, continuing to stare at the three-tiered cake.

Arkhan's gaze wandered slightly, comparing the current Artoria and Morgan to the ones in his memories. Although there hadn't been much change in their appearance, their demeanor seemed more mature. Yet, these changes didn't feel out of place as if they were always meant to be this way.

"What's wrong?" Nidhogg tilted her head, looking at him with a hint of concern. "You seem a bit off today..."

"No, it's just... I feel like... you all have changed quite a bit..." Arkhan rubbed his temples, forcing a smile.

"..." Nidhogg paused for a moment, then blushed slightly, looked down, and scoffed. "Pervert..."

"No, that's not what I meant..." Arkhan hurriedly explained. "I meant your demeanor and some other things... seem quite different from before..."

"You're stating the obvious." Morgan said, appearing beside him while holding a sizzling tray of meat. "Ever since you left this world, the entire country's burdens have fallen on our shoulders, especially Lily. She's been working day and night, sometimes forgetting to eat. It was not until the Knights of the Round Table grew that things became slightly easier."

"That's why I ate the royal jelly and strawberry pudding secretly at night..." Artoria muttered.

"Cut it out. Every time, I've prepared plenty of food in the kitchen for you, yet you always eye the stuff in my ice cellar." Morgan rolled her eyes.

Arkhan couldn't help but glance at Artoria.

Compared to their first meeting in Tintagel, she had undergone a tremendous transformation. Her eyes once held hesitation now exuded unwavering determination. Even in this informal setting, she still exuded an indescribable aura of majesty, stronger than ever before.

There was no doubt that she was now a true and qualified ruler.

Yet, Arkhan felt no joy, only endless guilt.

Despite Morgan's casual words, he could imagine the immense price Artoria had paid to reach this point.

Moreover, what about Nidhogg and Morgan? Over the years, how much effort had they put into maintaining this vast kingdom?

All of this burden should have been his to bear.

"Sorry, I..."

"Shh..."

A slender finger suddenly pressed against his lips, silencing the rest of his words. Arkhan blinked, staring somewhat dumbfounded into the pale golden eyes before him.

"You don't need to apologize to us, because we did this willingly, okay?" Morgan smiled, her eyes holding endless tenderness. "The real hardship lies with you. Compared to what you've been through, what we've done is merely trivial."

She turned slightly, pointing to the towering tree in front of them with a soft smile.

"See this tree? We planted it the year you left, right here. Every year, we carve a mark on it, symbolizing our longing for you and our hope for your safe return."

*Whooosh—*

A gust of wind swept through, causing the lush greenery to sway gracefully, casting a refreshing blanket of coolness around them.

Arkhan looked up at the lush canopy of trees, then lowered his gaze, scanning the faces of Morgan, Artoria, and Nidhogg.

After a while, a smile crept onto his face.

"Now, I'm finally here."

Seeing his smile, Morgan, Artoria, and Nidhogg all reciprocated it.

"Alright, Lily. Stop staring at that cake and come help me. We don't want the food to get cold." Morgan turned to her younger sister.

"Oh, by the way, where are the kids?" Nidhogg asked.

"They should still be playing by the river. I told them not to stay too long, but I bet their clothes were all wet again. Nid, why don't you go check by the river and bring those two troublemakers back?" Morgan replied, continued grilling meat.

Nidhogg nodded and quickly headed toward the riverbank.

Before long, she returned with two children in tow.

The older one, a girl with radiant golden hair, while the other, a boy with black hair and eyes, both bore clear characteristics of Arkhan.

As soon as the two children caught sight of him, their eyes lit up, and they quickly broke free from Nidhogg's grasp, leaping toward him.

"Daddy!"

"Father!"

Arkhan crouched down, embracing the two children in his arms. Seeing the joyous smiles on their faces, he couldn't help but smile along with them.

He glanced up at the canopy of trees again, a hint of complexity flickering in his black eyes.

'It's truly... so beautiful here...'